Bettman: Full NHL season unlikely

October 24, 2012|Reuters

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says it's unlikely a full 82-game season can be played. (Reuters Photo)

NEW YORK -- A full 82-game NHL season in 2012-13 is becoming increasingly unlikely because of the lack of progress between the league and union representing its locked-out players, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.

The NHL, which locked out its players over a month ago when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired, had set Thursday as a deadline to reach a new labor deal that would allow a full season to open Nov. 2.

But Bettman, speaking at a news conference to announce the New York Islanders' plans to move to Brooklyn, said the prospects were dim with time running out.

“The union has chosen not to engage on our proposal or to make a new proposal of their own so unfortunately it looks like the 82-game season is not going to be a reality,” he said.

“And although the clock still has a little bit of time to run things seem to be not progressing as we would like and we are disappointed.”

The NHL presented a six-year offer to the NHL Players' Association last week that proposed an equal split of hockey-related revenue.

The offer was contingent on the sides reaching an agreement by Thursday so teams could hold a one-week training camp starting Friday.

The union offered three counter-proposals last week that the league quickly shot down, saying later that all failed to approach a 50-50 revenue split.

The NHL, which has already canceled the first three weeks of the regular season as part of a work stoppage that has cost it about $250 million in lost revenue, locked out players after failing to agree on how to split a $3.3 billion revenue pie.